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Old 01-28-2008, 01:33 PM
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shekaree shekaree is offline
 
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Default Speeding Ticket

Guys, I got my first speeding ticket in Canada. I got a letter today with pictures of my car and it says I was speeding. The fine is $89.00

My question is what is the best option I have? If I pay the fine, will it go to my driving record or will points to put on my driving license? Will my insurance will go even higher?

I am new to this system and honestly, don't know how things works. Any advice will be great.

Thanks
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  #2  
Old 01-28-2008, 01:36 PM
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JohninAB JohninAB is offline
 
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With photo radar there are no demerits against your driver's license and hence no increase in your insurance. All they have is a car registered to you was speeding. They do not know who was driving hence no demerits.
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  #3  
Old 01-28-2008, 01:37 PM
nekred nekred is offline
 
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It is all explained in the notice with your ticket.....

or you could just.....

SLOW DOWN!...
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Old 01-28-2008, 01:40 PM
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You got a photo radar ticket! Welcome to the cash grabbing tactics of out local municipalities. You can plead not guilty and try fight it if you wish, but because photo radar tickets have no dimerits (as they are given to the registered owner of the vehicle, not the driver) you have nothing to really worry about, except the fact you have a few less dollars to spend on hunting or fishing stuff. These photo radar tickets are not reported to your insurance company and do not go on any perminant record that could up your rates. Most Canadian insurance companies will let you get away with a ticket with three or four dimerits before they raise your rates. Tickets here stay on your record for three years, and the dimerits come off after two years, but as I said before, there are none with photo radar. Get stopped by an officer, and then you have a bit more trouble on your hands. Chris K
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Old 01-28-2008, 01:54 PM
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You can either not do anything about it, plead not guilty and fight it, or go and ask for the ticket to be lessened.

But if you ever get pulled over by an actual cop your best bet is to go and plead with the judge. Tell them you'll pay the ticket if they take the demerits off. More often than not they'll take off all the demerits and take off a few bucks from your ticket.

But here's a little thing I learned....if you think you can somehow get out of it ($89, that's what, 20-25 over?), or there is the slightest chance the ticket could be wrong PLEAD NOT GUILTY. I have a theory on how these tickets work. Let's say the officer writes 100 tickets from the photo radar. 50 of them plead not guilty. He is going to look at the 50 of them and see which ones are open and shut cases...after all, there is no point in him showing up for 20 cases that he won't win. He will then withdraw the charges on those tickets which he doesn't know for sure he can win. I've tested this theory and it works 60% of the time (which may not be much, but it has saved me a bundle of money). Can you tell I used to speed a lot in my younger days?
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  #6  
Old 01-28-2008, 02:08 PM
Dr. Phil A Dr. Phil A is offline
 
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Default sounds familiar

They sent me a photo radar ticket so I sent them a photo of my cheque
They sent me a photo of a pair of handcuffs
'Nuf said. Sent them a cheque
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  #7  
Old 01-28-2008, 02:19 PM
nekred nekred is offline
 
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Quote:
Welcome to the cash grabbing tactics of out local municipalities
If you don't speed the don't get cash!....

I have slowed down over the years.... If everyone did the same.... the photo radar would be gone!... Cops could do what they are suppossed to do!...

Last edited by nekred; 01-28-2008 at 02:46 PM.
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  #8  
Old 01-28-2008, 04:57 PM
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OutwardBound OutwardBound is offline
 
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Ya, going downtown and getting the ticket lessned is a good way to do it, Danni got a speeding ticket with points, and she couldn't make to the Justice of the Peace (JP) that day so i did it for her and the JP just said i'll make it 15 over and that was it (Originally 25 over) no explaining to do or anything, definitly worth it, About a $100 for a couple of hours.

Another thing with photo radar is i have heard before that unqualifed ppl will run the units and you get sent a ticket but if you go ask for the radar persons qualifcations and he's not qualifed your ticket will be throwen out, with all the labour shortages, espesially in the police force , i would believe that.

Again done at the same place downtown as where the JP is located.

Sorry thouht you lived in Calgary, but i'm sure the office would be the same in Edmonton

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  #9  
Old 01-28-2008, 05:17 PM
dadof3bartas dadof3bartas is offline
 
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hey,

a friend of mine just got a ticket and she went to fight it and didnt have to pay. i guess she asked to see the negative of the photo. most pics that they send out are cropped and if there is another car in the picture, even just a small bit you can argue that it could have been them instead of you. most often they will just send tickets because they are fishing for money anyway and if you go to the court you will see how many they actually give out. its a bit stupid and a scam really. they hope most people will pay without question and most do.
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  #10  
Old 01-28-2008, 08:48 PM
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Mike_W Mike_W is offline
 
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Mish ....you must be a girl judging from your picture.

Maybe that had somthing to do with getting the demerits taken off ....I went to the JP and he said he would lessen my ticket but couldnt take off any more demerits as 2 was the lowest for my ticket.

Shekaree practice your wink before you go down to the JP !!!!
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  #11  
Old 01-28-2008, 08:52 PM
brett01 brett01 is offline
 
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yep u gotta love photo radar. Just shows the lack of ambition in our law enforcement. No demerits or increase in insurance thou. I got my first in red deer this fall for doing 62 in a 60 zone. Lovley eh? haha oh well
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  #12  
Old 01-28-2008, 09:15 PM
slipbobber slipbobber is offline
 
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My personal favorite radar story (not photo) is a couple years ago when my sister got a ticket for going 1km over the posted speed limit in Medicine Hat on a Sunday morning going to church. Not sure if it was the last day of the month or not but this eager beaver was keeping the streets of Medicine Hat safe.
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  #13  
Old 01-28-2008, 09:52 PM
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Actually in most cases,the people running the photo radar units do not have signs preceding the photo radar unit as required by provincial law.They hope that most people do not actually know the law,and will not fight the ticket in court.If you get one of those 1kph or 2kph over the limit tickets,by the time you ask in court for calibration certificates and records,as well as the officers training records for the exact radar unit,the judge will usually dismiss the ticket.
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  #14  
Old 01-29-2008, 12:04 AM
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Mish Mish is offline
 
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It might, Mike, but all my feminine powers can't help even me...I'm 1 demerit from getting my license taken away. I'm an extremely safe driver now.

brett & slip, I would definitely suggest fighting tickets that are over by 1 or 2km (I realize it's a bit too late for your sister), but my understanding of the law is that +/- 7km they can't give you a ticket.
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  #15  
Old 01-29-2008, 07:35 AM
slipbobber slipbobber is offline
 
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I told her she should but she lives 200km from the Hat and just decided to pay it. Not all police officers go out of there way to be a *****hole but some do.
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  #16  
Old 01-29-2008, 07:57 AM
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Grizzly Adams Grizzly Adams is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mish View Post
You can either not do anything about it, plead not guilty and fight it, or go and ask for the ticket to be lessened.

But if you ever get pulled over by an actual cop your best bet is to go and plead with the judge. Tell them you'll pay the ticket if they take the demerits off. More often than not they'll take off all the demerits and take off a few bucks from your ticket.

But here's a little thing I learned....if you think you can somehow get out of it ($89, that's what, 20-25 over?), or there is the slightest chance the ticket could be wrong PLEAD NOT GUILTY. I have a theory on how these tickets work. Let's say the officer writes 100 tickets from the photo radar. 50 of them plead not guilty. He is going to look at the 50 of them and see which ones are open and shut cases...after all, there is no point in him showing up for 20 cases that he won't win. He will then withdraw the charges on those tickets which he doesn't know for sure he can win. I've tested this theory and it works 60% of the time (which may not be much, but it has saved me a bundle of money). Can you tell I used to speed a lot in my younger days?
My theory is that if everyone fought every speeding ticket they got, The system would get totally bogged down and the cops would be a lot more selective about passing them out.
Grizz
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  #17  
Old 01-29-2008, 08:14 AM
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Mish Mish is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams View Post
My theory is that if everyone fought every speeding ticket they got, The system would get totally bogged down and the cops would be a lot more selective about passing them out.
Grizz
Hmm...you may be on to something.
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  #18  
Old 01-29-2008, 10:07 AM
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Okotokian Okotokian is offline
 
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Here's a novel suggestion: Take responsibility for your actions. If you can admit to yourself that you were speeding, pay the ticket. Slow down next time if paying tickets bothers you. We all talk about how screwed up our legal system is, until we get involved in it, then we trade ideas on how to get around it or bog it down.

I can honestly say I WAS speeding every time I ever got a ticket. Would have been nice to have been let off with a warning that Christmas Eve when I was driving with my family, but I WAS speeding.

I eagerly await the next thread where we will discuss how to break the wildlife act and then get out of trouble
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  #19  
Old 01-29-2008, 10:21 AM
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Haven't had a speeding ticket in about 25 years, but
then I don't speed!
Cat
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  #20  
Old 01-29-2008, 11:04 AM
nekred nekred is offline
 
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Funny thing here many people find nothing wrong with speeding (They thiink it is ethical) yet it is aginst the law.....

and well.... hunting within the law can be unethical....

Just had to say it to get the pot going to a full boil!....
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  #21  
Old 01-29-2008, 01:13 PM
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harv3589 harv3589 is offline
 
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I find it quite funny when people get photo radar tickets then go on some tantrum because photo radar is some cash grab...really if you look at it, your just mad because you got caught breaking the law, plain and simple! People that don't speed/break the law don't seem to have that problem
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  #22  
Old 01-29-2008, 04:12 PM
bagwan bagwan is offline
 
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Sometimes its where its located Harv. Going down 22 a couple of yrs ago south of Calgary, can't remember the name of the little Village, a County Cop was trolling. When we came back two days later, he was still there. Stopped in and asked the locals and apparently his wages and vehicles and a good portion of the county budget is paid for by his toll booth. That is not what it was designed for as I'm sure he had other things to do. He did not get me but it was obvious there is abuse on their part as to location and what it's supposed to do. In this case I even think a 30 zone was involved and yes going the proper speed is good but a lot of people from outside specific areas get caught because of planned strategic placings and changes in speed zones. Signage does not always help. Some county schools are in weird spots as well and you're on top of them pretty quick. Cash cows are out there so beware,
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  #23  
Old 01-29-2008, 05:53 PM
albertadave albertadave is offline
 
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Hey Bagwan, was it Turner Valley? I've driven through that town probably a dozen times over the last 2-3 years and that county mountie has been sitting in the same spot at the bottom of the hill by the Esso every time.
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  #24  
Old 01-29-2008, 07:02 PM
mini-moose mini-moose is offline
 
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"My theory is that if everyone fought every speeding ticket they got, The system would get totally bogged down and the cops would be a lot more selective about passing them out."


I don't think it would make the cops more selective. It would bog down the courts (have to hire more crowns to deal with them all) but the cops would still be out there writing them.
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  #25  
Old 01-29-2008, 07:17 PM
stubblejumper
 
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Quote:
I find it quite funny when people get photo radar tickets then go on some tantrum because photo radar is some cash grab...really if you look at it, your just mad because you got caught breaking the law, plain and simple! People that don't speed/break the law don't seem to have that problem
Not everyone who gets a ticket was breaking the law.A workmate of mine received a photo radar ticket for doing 100 in a 70 zone.The funny thing was that the location mentioned on the ticket is actually a 100kph zone.Not wanting to pay over $200,he called the number on the ticket to explain the error.The person that answered the phone simply told him that he could fight the ticket in court.Not wanting to miss a days pay to go to court,he decided to call the AMA legal adviser for advise.The lawyer told him to call again and mention that he would be filing for malicious prosecution since the people administering the system knew that it was a mistake,yet were still not dropping the charge.He did so,and was told to show up in court to fight the charge.Then two days before the court date,he received a letter stating that the charge was dropped.These people knew full well that the guy was totally innocent,yet would not back down until the last minute,hoping that he would pay a fine for something that he didn't even do.So much for "People that don't speed/break the law don't seem to have that problem".
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  #26  
Old 01-29-2008, 07:37 PM
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harv3589 harv3589 is offline
 
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It was sorted out in the end fortunately for him...the point is that photo radar isn't a cash grab...it catches people speeding and they get mad because they got caught.
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  #27  
Old 01-29-2008, 07:46 PM
gulogulo gulogulo is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Okotokian View Post
Here's a novel suggestion: Take responsibility for your actions. If you can admit to yourself that you were speeding, pay the ticket. Slow down next time if paying tickets bothers you. We all talk about how screwed up our legal system is, until we get involved in it, then we trade ideas on how to get around it or bog it down.

I can honestly say I WAS speeding every time I ever got a ticket. Would have been nice to have been let off with a warning that Christmas Eve when I was driving with my family, but I WAS speeding.

I eagerly await the next thread where we will discuss how to break the wildlife act and then get out of trouble
Outstanding thought process- take responsibilty for ones own actions! - What a concept. Thanks for writing the common sense solution Okotokian.
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  #28  
Old 01-29-2008, 08:10 PM
stubblejumper
 
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Quote:
It was sorted out in the end fortunately for him...the point is that photo radar isn't a cash grab...it catches people speeding and they get mad because they got caught.
The people running the photo radar fully intended on having him pay a fine even though they knew that he was innocent, so they could get their cut,since they get money for every ticket that is paid.They simply gave in when the guy refused to be intimidated into paying the fine and instead sought legal advice.Only when threatened with legal actions against them,did they drop the charge.
How about the incident several years ago when the contractor doing a street project in Edmonton complained to the city that people were driving too fast through the construction zone,endangering the workers.Instead of sending a police presence to slow down the traffic and protect the workers,they sent a photo radar van to profit from the situation.The construction contractor was so enraged that they took out an add in the Edmonton Sun the next day to inform people that may have been issued a ticket to plead not guilty because they reduced speed limit signs were not properly in place.That add gave the people an alibi even though they were likely guilty,just to send a protest to the city for putting profit before the safety of the workers.Yes it is often used as a cash grab,and not for public safety.
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  #29  
Old 01-29-2008, 09:10 PM
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buckfever buckfever is offline
 
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if this is allready on here sorry. a good way to NOT get P.R. tickets is to drive with your endgate down!!! works for me also buy a huge ball it covers my licsence plate nicely too
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  #30  
Old 01-29-2008, 09:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harv3589 View Post
It was sorted out in the end fortunately for him...the point is that photo radar isn't a cash grab...it catches people speeding and they get mad because they got caught.

It's a cash grab pure and simple-it penilizes the registered owner of the vehicle not the driver-alot of times they are not one in the same.
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